NA committee concerned about POL price increase

* Dismayed by removal of 658 employees from Sui Southern

ISLAMABAD The National Assembly Standing Committee on Petroleum and Natural Resources in its first meeting indicated concern about the increase in price-fixing for petroleum products.

“The committee expressed its concern over the fixing of the prices of petroleum products prices fortnightly. The committee feels this is tantamount to systematic increases, causing grave problems for consumers,” a press release issued here said.

Sardar Ali Nawaz Khan Mahar, a member of the National Assembly, chaired the meeting.

The committee impressed upon the ministry the need to work for comprehensive and viable planning to control frequent fluctuations in the prices of petroleum products.

The minister concerned assured that the ministry would remove the misconceptions of the committee, general public and the media in this respect.

The committee also expressed its dismay over the removal of 658 employees from Sui Southern, despite the orders of the Supreme Court for their re-instatement.

The chairman asked the ministry to provide gas and employment to the people of the areas where the natural gas is produced.

The minister said that gas is provided within a five-kilometres radius in gas producing areas, as a policy matter.

Earlier, the minister briefed the committee on the organisational structure and public sector companies of the ministry, the contribution of the petroleum sector in the national energy economy, oil and gas exploration policy, oil and gas consumption and infrastructure, mineral development policy and the constraints being faced by the petroleum sector.

The minister specifically briefed the committee on a new organisation, the Interstate Gas System Ltd., which is being created to study the feasibility of importing national gas from central Asian states to meet the future requirements of the country.

Among others, the meetings was attended by Chaudhry Noraiz Shakoor, minister for petroleum and natural resources, parliamentarians Makhdoomzada Basit Bokhari, Khawaja Sheraz Mehmood, Rana Omer Nazir Ahmed Khan, Rahila Yahya, Rana Mahmoodul Hassan, Maulana Abdul Ghafoor Haidri, Haji Gul Muhammad Dummar, Pir Syed Fazal Ali Shah Jellani and Manzoor Hussain Wassan. staff report

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